1921 in organized crime
Encyclopedia
See also:
1920 in organized crime
,
other events of 1921,
1922 in organized crime
and the
list of 'years in Organized Crime'
.
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1920 in organized crime
1920 in organized crime
See also:1919 in organized crime,other events of 1920,1921 in organized crime and thelist of 'years in organized crime'.-----Events:*Paddy "the Bear" Ryan, successor of Red Bolton as leader of the Valley Gang, is killed by Walter "The Runt" Quinlan....
,
other events of 1921,
1922 in organized crime
1922 in organized crime
See also:1921 in organized crime,other events of 1922,1923 in organized crime and thelist of 'years in Organized Crime'.-----Events:*New Orleans crime family leader Carlo Matranga retires from the organization appointing Sylvestro "Sam" Carolla in his place.*Moses Annenberg purchases the Daily...
and the
list of 'years in Organized Crime'
Timeline of organized crime
This is a timeline of the history of organized crime.Note: Sources included are Carl Sifakis's The Mafia Encyclopedia, Herbert Asbury's The Gangs of New York and others. Online references also include Thomas P...
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Events
- Upon his election as GovernorGovernorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Lennington Small would issue over 1,000 pardonPardonClemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
s to ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
criminals most notably Edward "Spike" O'DonnallEdward O'DonnellEdward O'Donnell is the name of:*Edward Joseph O'Donnell , Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana*Edward J. O'Donnell , President of Marquette University...
during his seven years in office before his own indictment for fraudFraudIn criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
. - James Sweeney, a ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
gangGangA gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
leader and professional bombBombA bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
er, is arrestArrestAn arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
ed imprisoned for his criminal activities. Despite his imprisonment, his organization is soon replaced by Sangerman's BombersSangerman's BombersSangerman's Bombers were a criminal group of bombers based in Chicago during the 1920s.The successors of Sweeney's Bombers, the gang was formed by Joseph Sangerman in the early-1920s, shortly after the arrests of the Sweeney gang in 1921...
. - Former Black HandBlack HandUnification or Death , unofficially known as the Black Hand , was a secret military society formed by members of the Serbian army in the Kingdom of Serbia, which was founded on September 6, 1901. It was intent on uniting all of the territories containing significant Serb populations annexed by...
bomberBomberA bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
Andrew KerrAndrew KerrAndrew "Andy" Kerr IV was an American football, basketball, and track and field coach. He served as the head football coach at Stanford University , Washington & Jefferson College , Colgate University , and Lebanon Valley College , compiling a career college football record...
is arrestArrestAn arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
ed and chargeCriminal chargeA criminal charge is a formal accusation made by a governmental authority asserting that somebody has committed a crime. A charging document, which contains one or more criminal charges or counts, can take several forms, including:* complaint...
d with conspiracyConspiracy (crime)In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to bomb several unionTrade unionA trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
offices. - Chicago Black HandBlack HandUnification or Death , unofficially known as the Black Hand , was a secret military society formed by members of the Serbian army in the Kingdom of Serbia, which was founded on September 6, 1901. It was intent on uniting all of the territories containing significant Serb populations annexed by...
leader, Sam CardinelliSam CardinelliSamuele Cardinelli [Salvatore Cardinella] was a Chicago mobster, extortionist, and leader of Cardinelli Gang during the 1920s....
, and fellow mobstersMobstersMobsters is a 1991 crime-drama film detailing the creation of the The Commission. Set in New York City, taking place from 1917 to 1931, it is a semi-fictitious account of the rise of Charles "Lucky" Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Frank Costello, and Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel.-Plot:This highly dramatized...
Nicholas "The Choir Boy" Viana and Frank Campione executed for the murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of saloon owner, Andrew P. Bowman. - A major gang warGangA gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
breaks out in CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
between the Suey Ying, Bing KongBing Kong TongThe Bing Kong Tong was one of the powerful Tongs in San Francisco's Chinatown during the early 20th century. Since most, if not all, Chinatowns founded in the United States in the 19th century were founded by migrants from the province of Canton , many place names were...
, Suey Don, and Jung Ying Tongs. - Carlo GambinoCarlo Gambino"Don" Carlo Gambino, was a Sicilian mafioso who became Boss of the Gambino crime family, that still bears his name today. After the 1957 Apalachin Convention he unexpectedly seized control of the Commission of the American Mafia. Gambino was known for being low-key and secretive...
, the future founder of the Gambino crime familyGambino crime familyThe Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
, arrives in New York as a stowaway from Palermo, Sicily at the age of 19. - February 6 - Vito Guardalabene, head of the Milwaukee's Guardalabene crime familyCrime familyA crime family is a term used to describe a unit of an organized crime syndicate, often operating within a specific geographic territory. The term is used almost exclusively to refer to units of the Mafia, both in Sicily and in the United States, although it is occasionally used to refer to other...
, dies of natural causes and succeeded by his son, Peter Guardalabene. - May 12 - ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
mobster and president of the Unione SicilianeUnione SicilianeThe Unione Siciliana was a Sicilian-American fraternal organization which eventually was rumored to have controlled much of the Italian American vote within the United States during the early twentieth century...
, Anthony D'AndreaAnthony D'AndreaAnthony D'Andrea was the Mafia boss of Chicago in the late 1910s to early 1920s. He was also a political leader who was a president of the Unione Siciliana and was involved in a heated battle for alderman...
, is gunGunA gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
ned down only hours following a card gamePokerPoker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
the previous night. He is succeeded by Mike MerloMike MerloMike Merlo was a Chicago political figure associated in his later years with the Johnny Torrio-Al Capone organization. As head of the Unione Siciliana fraternal group, Merlo wielded considerable influence both in Chicago's Democratic Party politics and also within Chicago's criminal underworld...
. - May 20 - Labor racketeer Cornelius SheaCornelius SheaCornelius P. Shea was an American labor leader and organized crime figure. He was the founding president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, holding the position from 1903 until 1907. He became involved with the Chicago Outfit, and although he was indicted many times, he usually...
is accused of leading a bombBombA bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
ing campaign during a stationary engineerStationary engineerA stationary engineer, also called operating engineer or power engineer, is a tradesman who operates heavy machinery and equipment that provide heat, light, climate control and power. Stationary engineer are trained in many areas, including mechanical, thermal, chemical, electrical, metallurgical,...
's strikeStrike actionStrike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
, in 1920. Charges are never filed due to lack of evidenceEvidenceEvidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either presumed to be true, or were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth...
. - July - Steve Wisniewski, a ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
gunman who had recently hijacked a North Side GangNorth Side GangThe North Side family Gang, also known as the North Side Mob, was the dominant Irish-American criminal organization within Chicago during the Prohibition era from the early to late 1920s and principal rival of the Johnny Torrio-Al Capone organization, later known as the Chicago Outfit.- Early...
beer shipment, is last seen with Hymie WeissHymie WeissHymie Weiss was a Polish-American mob boss who became a leader of the Prohibition-era North Side Gang and a bitter rival of Al Capone.-Early years:...
and presumably taken outside Chicago and killMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed. Upon Weiss's return he explained "I took Stevie for a one way ride." This is the first time a gangland killingGangland killingA gangland killing is a murder carried out by organized criminals. According to FBI Uniform Crime Reports, there were 425 gangland killings from 2000 to 2004, 0.6% of all murders committed in the United States during that time...
is used as the phrase "one way rideOne way rideA one way ride, also known by the phrase "take for a ride", is a slang term used by the underworld as an execution method. The usual plan is for the victim, who is lured or forced into a car, to be driven to a remote location where they are killed where their bodies are dumped.-History:First...
" is still commonly used today to refer to this method. - August 14 - Joseph Sinacola is gunGunA gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
ned down in front of his two children during the long running feudFeudA feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
between Jim PowersJim PowersJames Manley , better known by his ring name Jim Powers is a retired American professional wrestler. He most notably wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s...
and Phillip D'Andrea. A previous attempt on his life on July 6 left him recovering in a local hospital until his release only two weeks prior to his death.
Births
- January 19 - William DevinoWilliam DevinoWilliam "Billy Batts" Devino was a New York mobster with the Gambino crime family who was a longtime friend of John Gotti in the 1960s...
, high ranking member of the Gambino crime familyGambino crime familyThe Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963... - February 24 - Peter Marcello, Sr., owner of the French QuarterFrench QuarterThe French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
's Sho-Bar club and younger brother of Carlos MarcelloCarlos MarcelloCarlos "The Little Man" Marcello was a Sicilian-American mafioso who became the boss of the New Orleans crime family during the 1940s and held this position for the next 30 years.-Early life:... - July 28 - Frank BalistrieriFrank BalistrieriFrank Peter Balistrieri , also known as "Mr. Big", "Frankie Bal", "Mr. Slick", and "Mad Bomber", was a Milwaukee Mafia boss who was a central figure in skimming during the 1980s.-Early years:...
"Frankie Bal", Milwaukee MafiaMafiaThe Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
leader
Deaths
- February 6 - Vito Guardalabene, Milwaukee mobster and Guardalabene crime family founder
- May 12 - Anthony D'AndreaAnthony D'AndreaAnthony D'Andrea was the Mafia boss of Chicago in the late 1910s to early 1920s. He was also a political leader who was a president of the Unione Siciliana and was involved in a heated battle for alderman...
, ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
mobster and Unione SicilianeUnione SicilianeThe Unione Siciliana was a Sicilian-American fraternal organization which eventually was rumored to have controlled much of the Italian American vote within the United States during the early twentieth century...
President - July - Steve WisniewskiSteve WisniewskiSteve Wisniewski nicknamed "The Wiz" is a former Offensive Lineman who played 13 seasons with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders and is now an assistant offensive line coach for the Oakland Raiders. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1989 NFL Draft. His rights were traded...
, ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
gunman - July 15 - Frank Campione, (Chicago) Black HandBlack HandUnification or Death , unofficially known as the Black Hand , was a secret military society formed by members of the Serbian army in the Kingdom of Serbia, which was founded on September 6, 1901. It was intent on uniting all of the territories containing significant Serb populations annexed by...
member - July 15 - Sam CardinelliSam CardinelliSamuele Cardinelli [Salvatore Cardinella] was a Chicago mobster, extortionist, and leader of Cardinelli Gang during the 1920s....
, (Chicago) Black HandBlack HandUnification or Death , unofficially known as the Black Hand , was a secret military society formed by members of the Serbian army in the Kingdom of Serbia, which was founded on September 6, 1901. It was intent on uniting all of the territories containing significant Serb populations annexed by...
leader - July 15 - Nicholas Viana "The Choir Boy", (Chicago) Black HandBlack HandUnification or Death , unofficially known as the Black Hand , was a secret military society formed by members of the Serbian army in the Kingdom of Serbia, which was founded on September 6, 1901. It was intent on uniting all of the territories containing significant Serb populations annexed by...
member - August 14 - Joseph Sinacola, murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
victim